Demand Reason

License To Murder: Wild West Justice: Texas, You Are Free To Secede Now

Did you know there is a law in Texas that allows you to use deadly force to retrieve stolen property? Well, the only catch is that the theft has to occur at nighttime. No seriously folks, conservatives are apparently just making it up as they go. — Because such a law exists, a man was just acquitted of murder.

San Antonio Express — A Bexar County jury on Wednesday acquitted Ezekiel Gilbert of murder in the death of a 23-year-old Craigslist escort.

Had he been convicted, he could have faced up to life in prison for the slaying of Lenora Ivie Frago who died about seven months after she was shot in the neck and paralyzed on Christmas Eve 2009. Gilbert admitted shooting Frago.

During closing arguments Tuesday, Gilbert’s defense team conceded the shooting did occur but said the intent wasn’t to kill. Gilbert’s actions were justified, they argued, because he was trying to retrieve stolen property: the $150 he paid Frago. It became theft when she refused to have sex with him or give the money back, they said.

Gilbert testified earlier Tuesday that he had found Frago’s escort ad on Craigslist and believed sex was included in her $150 fee. But instead, Frago walked around his apartment and after about 20 minutes left, saying she had to give the money to her driver, he said.

This story is so outrageous I’m left wondering if important details were left out. But on face value, all I can say is this is a style of “wild west” justice that I would expect to be universally condemned in 2013, but it is Texas after all. Apparently in Texas they really like murdering people. I mean, they love their guns, they love their state sanctioned executions and apparently they like excuses for murdering people by gun — so long as it’s dark outside. And I guess all you need to say in defense is — I didn’t mean to do it.